The present invention relates to a fishing rod, more particularly to a fishing rod through which a fishline is laid in the use of the rod.
There has been known a conventional fishing rod of the type in which a fishline is put into the tubular member of the rod through a fishline guide provided on the tubular member and is then taken out from the tip of the rod so that the fishline extends through the fishline guide and the tubular member.
Such a fishing rod was disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application (OPI) No. Hei. 1-178373 and Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. Sho. 56-127032 (the term "OPI" as used herein means an "unexamined published application").
With respect to Japanese Utility Model Application No. Hei. 1-178373, a fishline passage member is provided in the coupled portions of the mutually-adjacent tubular members of the fishing rod, and has a fishline passage hole.
However, since the conventional fishing rod has the fishline passage member having the fishline passage hole and provided in the coupled portions of the mutually-adjacent tubular members of the rod, there is a problem that the strength of the coupled portions is extremely lowered due to the notch of the anterior tubular member for the fishline passage hole although each of the coupled portions has a double constructions. Since it is difficult to reduce the angle between the axis of the fishline passage hole and that of the tubular member, there is a problem that the fishline extending from the hole bends at a large angle into the tubular member to result in increasing the resistance of the fishing guide to the sliding of the fishline. If the angle between the axis of the fishline passage hole and that of the tubular member is to be reduced, a slot slenderly extending in the longitudinal direction of the member needs to be provided therein. However, since the coupled portion of the tubular member has the double construction, there is a problem that it is difficult to provide the slot in the member. If the slot is provided in the tubular member, there are problems that the length of the coupled portion of the member is made very large and the weight of the portion is increased.
With respect to Japanese Patent Application No. Sho. 56-127032, the fishing rod includes the fishline guide having an outer member shaped as a plate and having a recess, in the outer portion of which a guide ring is secured.
However, since a fishline is guided by the single guide ring of the fishline guide disclosed in the above-mentioned Application, there is a problem that the fishline is likely to come into contact with the outer surface or/and inner surface of the tubular member of a fishing rod. Since the fishline is bent at a large angle by the single guide ring, there is a problem that the resistance of the fishline guide to the sliding of the fishline is high. Since the outer member of the fishline guide is fixed to the tubular member of the fishing rod simply at the front and rear portions of the outer member, there is a problem that the portions are likely to be damaged.